College basketball is not the only sport that raises the stakes in March.
The best tennis players in the world spend the month playing back-to-back tournaments on the hard courts in Indian Wells and Miami. After the four majors, these two events are widely considered the most prestigious in the sport. Here are a few storylines to watch out for in the California desert.
Who Comes Out of the Bottom Quarter?
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will compete for just one spot.
Soccer fans out there know that every World Cup must include a so-called Group of Death. This year’s Indian Wells men’s draw shows that tennis can hold its own in that department. As you’ve probably heard, the bottom quarter here is a doozy: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev will all compete for just one semifinal spot. This section of the draw alone is enough to cause excitement, as it poses some blockbuster matches early in the tournament. However, it’s also a double-edged sword because only one of these stars can progress into the semifinals, meaning a lot of big names will be eliminated early on.
Ladies Top Ranking Goes Back to Kerber
Angelique Kerber started 2017 as the world No. 1, but has only reached one semifinal in five events so far this year. However, she will regain the No. 1 ranking from Serena Williams because Serena will be missing the tournament due to a late withdrawal (the cause of which has been deemed to be a knee injury). Look for Kerber to play loose and with more confidence as the tournament progresses. I’d consider her the favorite to win the championship.
Murray Poised for a Deep Run
Luckily for him, Andy Murray is the odd man out in this draw. He’s all alone in the top half, and will be happy to watch his biggest rivals knock themselves out over the course of the next week. Murray is coming off a confidence-boosting title in Dubai, and his quarter is, relatively speaking, an easy one: No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the next highest seed, and while Tsonga has been hot of late—he won back-to-back titles in Rotterdam and Marseille—he has never been past the quarters in Indian Wells. Murray has been to a final there, but never won the title; he has to like his chances right now.
